Julia strengthens back into Tropical Storm

MIAMI (WOFL FOX 35) - Julia has once again strengthened into a tropical storm as it meanders off the coast of the Carolinas.

The National Hurricane Center in Miami said Julia's maximum sustained winds at 5 p.m. EDT on Thursday were 40 mph (about 65 kph). The storm is centered about 175 miles (about 280 kilometers) southeast of Charleston, South Carolina and 150 miles (about 240 kilometers) southeast of Wilmington, North Carolina. Julia is moving at a speed of 8 mph (13 kph) and is forecast to continue drifting off the Carolinas for the next few days. It currently is posing no threat to land.

Meanwhile, Tropical Depression Twelve was located about 400 miles (644 km) northwest of the Cabo Verde Islands. The depression is moving toward the west near 13 mph (20 km/h), and a motion toward the west or west-southwest is expected during the next couple of days.

Maximum sustained winds are near 35 mph (55 km/h) with higher gusts. Little change in strength is forecast during the next 48 hours, with some strengthening expected by late in the weekend, when the depression could become a tropical storm.